The premium features available on Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ 660 platform make it the most powerful 600-tier platform to date, with the Qualcomm® Artificial Intelligence Engine (AIE), Qualcomm Spectra™ ISP, Qualcomm® Kryo™ CPU built on ARM Cortex technology, and Qualcomm® Hexagon™ DSP with Hexagon Vector eXtensions (HVX) supported for the first time in the 600 tier. The SoC is designed to support a leap in performance supporting on-device artificial intelligence, advanced photography and enhanced graphics.

Here are a few features of the Snapdragon 660 SoC

Kryo CPU - The custom built 64-bit ARM v8-compliant Kryo 260 CPU has up to 20% higher performance than the prior generation—with independent efficiency and power clusters, each designed to optimize for a unique user experience.

Hexagon DSP - The Hexagon 680 DSP is designed to significantly improve performance and battery life, and includes the Qualcomm All-Ways Aware™ sensor hub and HVX for optimal efficiency. It comes with Hexagon Vector eXtensions (dual-HVX512) and operates at 787 MHz to enable advanced imaging and computer vision tasks.

Spectra ISP - The 14-bit Qualcomm Spectra 160 ISP is engineered to support capture of up to 25 megapixels on a single camera and up to 16 megapixels on dual cameras with zero shutter lag, and offer smooth zoom, fast autofocus and true-to-life colors for improved image quality. It taps into the performance enhancements Hexagon 680 DSP’s HVX adds, bringing amazing features like smooth zoom, fast autofocus, and true-to-life colors.

Specialized solutions through SDKs from Qualcomm that are enabled from the Android BSP on Inforce 6560 SBC:

Snapdragon Neural Processing Engine SDK, for artificial intelligence (AI) is designed to run one or more neural network models trained in Caffe/Caffe2, ONNX, or TensorFlow on Snapdragon platforms, whether that is the CPU, GPU or DSP and provides customers a powerful, energy efficient platform for delivering intuitive and engaging deep learning-driven experiences on their product.

FastCV SDK for Android that is designed to make it easy to integrate facial processing and facial recognition features into your application. Inforce also enables the OpenCV APIs to provide even more extensive capabilities in the Computer Vision domain.

The Hexagon™ SDK that is designed to enable device manufacturers and independent software providers to optimize the features and performance of multimedia software. These optimizations help allow audio, imaging, embedded vision, and heterogeneous computing acceleration on the Hexagon DSP embedded in Snapdragon processors.

The Adreno™ SDK, with which you can take full advantage of the graphics and computation power provided by the Adreno GPU and optimize applications for faster frame rates, smoother rendering, and longer battery life.

Symphony SDK that provides APIs to put tighter control on how you want to utilize the various compute units within Qualcomm® Snapdragon™ processors like multicore CPUs, GPU and DSPs for task scheduling, heterogeneous offload, and power and thermal management.

* Optional Interfaces that are present on specific build-to-order SKUs. Please contact Sales team at sales@inforcecomputing.com for details.

Early access to leading edge APIs and next generation features.

Long-term commitment of supply assurance from product introduction

A product roadmap that keeps developers on the latest technology curve from Qualcomm

Documentation

Introduction

1. What is Inforce 6560™ SBC?

The Inforce 6560 SBC is a full-fledged single-board-computer (SBC) solution based on Qualcomm’s custom Octa-core 64-bit Kryo(260) CPU (Snapdragon 660) platform for embedded applications. The production-ready Inforce 6560 SBC comes in a standard pico-iTX form factor of 100mm x 72mm without compromising on direct access to a rich set of I/Os. This platform provides a perfect environment for a variety of unique industrial embedded applications that require high performance, intelligent, on-device processes, utilizing heterogeneous compute capabilities to power immersive and engaging experiences for machine learning use-cases.

2. Does Inforce provide any custom design solutions since some designs wouldn’t be able to use the standard form factor and or features?

Yes, while we offer standard products off-the-shelf (OTS) on our website and through our distributors (like Arrow Electronics etc.), we also have a strong background in customized hardware and software solutions. We offer pre-validated build-to-order (BTO) configurations, as well as configure-to-order (CTO) options for existing products. Inforce also offers full custom hardware design and associated software/device driver development, for those projects where a unique hardware design is required to meet sophisticated technical challenges.

3. Where can I get more information on the Inforce 6560 SBC? What do I get when I buy one Inforce 6560 SBC? Is the device available internationally?

Inforce’s website has a lot of useful information about our SBCs athttp://www.inforcecomputing.com/products/single-board-computers Please check on the exact product SKU for the pre-loaded software, available IOs and
accompanying starter kits, which include items such as acrylic base, power adapters, and cables. Once you register the product with Inforcecomputing.com, you would get dedicatedm support from Inforce. The board would be shipped to most places around the world and relevant shipping and excise duty charges apply. Please contact sales@inforcecomputing.com for exact pricing.

4. Does Inforce have an active developer forum or blog?

Yes! Inforce has a dedicated discussion platform at http://forums.inforcecomputing.com. You can find our periodic blogs at http://inforcecomputing.com/blog/. Here you can keep up with all of the latest information about Inforce’s products, periodic newsletters, conference and trade show appearances, and innovative customer applications.

5. What is the support model from Inforce after products are purchased?

All purchases of Inforce products get unlimited access to the online TechWeb support portal, which provides a host of technical documentation and software downloads. Purchasers are also provided free technical support for a limited number of support tickets. For a sustained technical support, Inforce offers Design Assistance Support Contracts for shorter periods of time and Annual Support Contracts for its customers who would like unlimited prioritized technical support. Please contact Inforce sales to obtain more details of the support contracts.

General

6. How is emission shielding and heat dissipation handled?

The platform comes with a heatsink block and clips for installing an EMI shield around the RF components for excellent emission control and heat dissipation. Please check on the exact product SKU with shielding.

The Inforce 6560 SBC does not include support for a wireless modem. Third party cellular modem dongles can be connected to this platform via USB ports and may require special drivers from the respective manufacturers.

9. What is the storage capacity of the Inforce 6560 SBC? Is it expandable?

Please check on the exact product SKU for the pre-loaded software and available memory. The on-board storage (eMMC) capacity is 32GB. Memory can be expanded by connecting a Micro-SD card or a USB Hard drive.

10. How powerful is the Inforce 6560 SBC? What is the speed of the RAM?

The standalone Inforce 6560 SBC is powered by an Octa-core 64-bit Kryo 260 based applications processor capable of up to 2.2 GHz speed with 2MB of L2 cache.
The Qualcomm Adreno™ 512 GPU operates at 650 MHz and is capable of up to 255 GFLOPS of general purpose compute.
The onboard DDR4 RAM is of 3GB size, and part of the eMCP package.

11. What types of displays are supported and at what resolution?

UltraHD@30Hz on USB Type C, WQXGA@60Hz on MIPI-DSI and HDMI v1.3a supporting 1080p@30fps/720p@60fps are the display types supported. Concurrent dual independent displays of WQXGA@60Hz + UltraHD@30Hz is possible.
Please check on the exact product SKU for the available display interfaces.

The Inforce 6560 SBC has 3 MIPI-CSI camera connectors that support 4 lanes each from CSI0,CSI1 and CSI2. The interfaces can support up to 24MP single or 16MP dual. Dual MIPI-CSI camera capability is possible with additional software support.
Inforce platforms have been validated with a Sony IMX230 sensor (21MP) based camera module for 4K@60fps capture and record. Note that this camera module accessory (ACC1H70) can be purchased from http://inforcecomputing.com/products/accessories USB UVC cameras too are supported and Inforce has validated cameras of 1080p resolution on this interface.

15. How much power does the board draw? Is it possible to measure the power?

The Inforce 6560 SBC is powered from a 12V/3A wall adapter. Our products typically offer support for 7V-16V power input range. The total approximate power drawn by the Inforce 6560 SBC ranges between 6W to 17W when different use cases are executed.

There are test points made available to measure run-time power. Please refer to the user guide for more details on these test points. The input current through the DC jack can also be measured during different use-cases. Note that we run the Qualcomm Trepn™ profiler as part of our validation process on all of our stock Android releases.

16. What are the audio capabilities?

Audio is available through HDMI, USB and speaker out. The Inforce 6560 SBC also comes with a microphone for recording and a combo jack for microphone and speaker out. The HDMI interface is compliant to Version 1.3a specification.

17. What are the sensor capabilities?

Snapdragon 660 processor’s Hexagon DSP cluster has a dedicated sensor core to support always-on sensor-aware apps. Onboard the Inforce 6560 SBC, a 3D accelerometer and a 3D gyroscope are available through the STMicro LSM6DS3 sensor module.

18. Does the Inforce 6560 platform support battery charging and RTC?

Yes, the Inforce 6560 platform has an integrated battery charging circuitry with the battery header on-board. It also has an RTC with guaranteed accuracy implemented through interrupts.

19. What documents can I access online if I were to purchase the Inforce 6560 SBC? Are board design files also provided?

We provide datasheets, a User Guide, a Quick Start Guide and a Hardware Reference Manual. Board design files are proprietary and thus not shared.
All software releases are accompanied with release notes, user guides and application notes that describe all the features and the installation procedure. Apart from these, all technical questions addressed to techsupport@inforcecomputing.com are promptly answered once the product is registered with Inforce.

21. How can I change the MAC address for WiFi/BT/Ethernet on my Board?

This should not be necessary since the correct addresses are programmed before the board is shipped. But if it is still required, please refer to the App Notes available on our TechWeb support portal.

22. What are the IO interfaces available?

Standard I/O interfaces including GbE, I2C, SPI, UART, GPIOs, SD card and on-board Serial Console are available. The 6560 SBC has one USB-C port and a couple of USB 2.0 Type A (host) connectors. We also provide a 40 pin expansion header with accessible GPIOs available for users. Please refer to the product specifications in the Hardware Reference Manual or the datasheet for more information and also for the exact product SKU for the available interfaces.

23. Does the platform support PoE?

Yes, the platform supports PoE out of the box through the ACC1S70 accessory from Inforce which can be purchased from http://www.inforcecomputing.com/products/accessories. The platform provides dual Ethernet ports on USB3.0 to GbE controllers that enable Power Over Ethernet (PoE) supporting 802.3at complaint PD configuration. This allows the user to provide an Ethernet connection apart from powering your system in any location with just a single cable.

Software

24. What operating systems are supported and what is the OS roadmap?

Board Support Packages (BSPs) for Android Oreo is available as an officially supported package on Inforce TechWeb. An Ubuntu/Debian Linux based BSP would soon be made available and please stay tuned to our website for an announcement on this package. Periodic releases shall be provided with feature improvements on both these packages. Inforce also upgrades the BSPs to newer Android releases and upstream Linux kernel to support feature improvements on its platforms. Please stay tuned for announcements on our website for update releases.

25. Is root access possible on Inforce boards? Could you please explain how to get root privileges in Android?

Yes. As Android derives from the Linux kernel, rooting an Android device gives similar access administrative permissions as on Linux. Please give below commands in adb shell to get root privileges
#adb root
#adb remount
Note that root access to the app space is not provided by default by the BSP.

26. Is fastboot supported? How to enter fastboot?

Yes. To go to fastboot mode, keep the Fastboot button (refer to the QSG document for Inforce 6560 SBC for location) pressed before powering on the board. Release it after the board is powered on.

27. I've modified the boot partitions on my board and the board is no longer booting. What should I do?

If the eMMC partitions have been erased or partition table has been corrupted, you need to recover the eMMC using the instructions you can find on Inforce Techweb support portal by referring to the relevant application note.

28. Is the Hexagon DSP available on the Inforce 6560 platform?

Yes. Qualcomm’s Hexagon DSP architecture is designed to deliver performance with low power over a variety of heterogeneous computing applications. It has features such as hardware assisted multithreading and instructions geared toward efficient signal processing. The Inforce 6560 SBC comes with the Hexagon™ 680 DSP with Hexagon vector processor (HVX) designed for low-power audio and computer vision processing. Qualcomm opens up a comprehensive Hexagon SDK that provides a complete environment to generate dynamic Hexagon DSP code modules. Inforce’s Android BSP releases enables the use of the Hexagon SDK and provides sample applications. The Hexagon SDK provides a RPC mechanism (FastRPC) to communicate between the HLOS and Hexagon DSP.

29. How can I get kernel debug messages?

Connect the device’s serial port and debug messages should start to show up on utilities like minicom/putty(if using a windows host).

30. Why isn’t Google Play available on my board?

Google Play is part of Google Mobile Services (GMS) and is licensed separately by Google. This
is usually available on commercial Android devices. Though our hardware is capable of
meeting requirements of the Google Test Suite that would lead to GMS certification, we have not added this to our product.
Nevertheless, it is possible to side-load any Android application using the following commands: #adb devices #adb mount #adb remount #adb install apk

Should you have further questions not answered by the above FAQ and would like to have them included here, please contact Inforce Computing.

For more information and to place an order for product variants or more quantities, contact the Inforce sales team at (510) 683-9999 or at sales@inforcecomputing.com.

Inforce Computing offers a range of off-the-shelf accessories that enable you to re-create system configurations that your customers need. These accessories are custom built by Inforce and are supported with a strong roadmap. The accessories listed below are suitable for the Snapdragon 660 based Inforce 6560 SBC.

A MIPI-CSI camera accessory based on Sony’s IMX230 which is a 21 Mega Pixel CMOS active pixel type stacked image sensor with a square pixel array. It adopts Exmor RS™ technology to achieve high speed image capturing. This camera module interfaces with a cable to the 41 pin MIPI-CSI connectors available on Inforce 6640 SBC and other Inforce platforms. It operates with three power supply voltages and achieves low power consumption. It offers a readout rate of 24 frames per second at full resolution and HDR mode imaging of 30fps@4K2K/1080p@60. A 41-pin JF08 cable is also included in this kit.

An UH2C/1080p Camera adapter board using Toshiba’s UHDMI to CSI conversion chip. It uses a Type A HDMI connector to receive the HDMI input and feeds CSI data into the Inforce platforms through two 41-pin MIPI-CSI connectors. There is no additional power supply required for this module. This module is capable of supporting 1080p on a single CSI-2 using 4 lanes and 4k using dual CSI-2 using 8 lanes. The necessary cables are included with this accessory.

This Power Over Ethernet accessory allows you to power your Inforce 6640 platform and provide an Ethernet connection in any location with just a single cable. This also provides an isolated full duplex RS-485 transceiver. The plug and play accessory supports extended temperatures and it will work straight out of the box. The accessory comes with the necessary spacers and connector to interface to the Inforce 6640 SBC.

*- Optional software. Contact sales team at sales@inforcecomputing.com for enabling these accessories.